I am an Assistant Professor in Computational Social Science at the Political Science department of the University of Amsterdam (UvA).

My academic career has been driven by a deep commitment to understanding power dynamics, specifically how powerful entities—whether they are corporations, elites, or shareholders—gain and exercise power.

Currently, I am researching how major tech companies and tech elites are transforming the outer space industry. This new space race, shifting from geopolitical to economic competition, covers key sectors like surveillance, communication, space mining, and travel.

Using computational methods, I study the political and environmental impacts of this power shift.

Before my tenure at the UvA, I worked as a Postdoctoral Researcher at KU Leuven. I was part of the ‘Geography of Corporate Financialization’ project.

Collaborating with a team of geographers, I analyzed the power of corporate shareholders across 40 thousand corporations over two decades, providing empirical data to enhance our understanding of shareholder capitalism.

I obtained my PhD in Political Science from the University of Amsterdam in 2021. For my doctoral research, I studied power of corporate elites by analyzing network of 200 million corporations.

My investigation revealed how these elites exercise power through personal networks, challenging existing theories on elite globalization.

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At the UvA, I hold several key positions that enhance both my research and teaching endeavors.

As one of the leaders at the Social & Behavioral Data Science Center, I organize data science events, advise social scientists on applying data science methods, and oversee funding.

Additionally, I am an associate on the UvA Sustainability Platform, where I am involved in a project on sustainability of global supply chains.

I am also a lecturer in the BSc program in Computational Social Science, where I lead an educational track that oversees student engagement with external partners.

Alongside my academic work, I often comment and write about elites, business, conspiracy theories, and the super-rich in various media.

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Visit my personal website https://www.diliaravaleeva.com/ for more information.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diliara-valeeva-4267a0100/

Twitter / X : @diliara_valeeva

Talks: slides.com/diliaravaleeva